Conquering a severe complication of celiac disease

Date:

May 3, 2010

Source:

Journal of Clinical Investigation

Summary:

One severe complication of celiac disease is enteropathy-associated T cell lymphoma, an invasive lymphoma with poor prognosis. New research has identified the anti-death signals transmitted to immune cells in the wall of the small intestine by the soluble factor IL-15 that contribute to the development of enteropathy-associated T cell lymphoma, providing potential new targets for treating type II refractory celiac disease -- an intermediary clinical state between celiac disease and enteropathy-associated T cell lymphoma.

Share:

Total shares:

FULL STORY

One severe complication of celiac disease is enteropathy-associated T cell lymphoma, a high-grade invasive lymphoma with a very poor prognosis. Previous research has suggested that chronic exposure of immune cells in the walls of the small intestine, which are known as intraepithelial lymphocytes, to potent anti-death signals initiated by the soluble factor IL-15 contributes to the development of enteropathy-associated T cell lymphoma.

A team of researchers, at INSERM U989, Université René Descartes, France, has now identified the survival signals delivered by IL-15 to freshly isolated human intraepithelial lymphocytes and to intraepithelial lymphocyte cell lines derived from patients with type II refractory celiac disease -- a clinical state considered an intermediary step between celiac disease and enteropathy-associated T cell lymphoma. Importantly, treatment with an antibody directed at IL-15 caused intraepithelial lymphocytes to die and wiped out their accumulation in mice overexpressing human IL-15 in the lining of their gut.

The team, led by Nadine Cerf-Bensussan and Bertrand Meresse, therefore suggests that IL-15 and its downstream survival signals might provide new targets for the treatment of type II refractory celiac disease.

July 31, 2015  School is just around the corner, which means backpacks and packed lunches await your children. One expert offers tips for parents to promote healthy dental habits while away from ... read more

July 29, 2015  By blocking the expression of a certain gene in patients, researchers have contributed to the demonstration of great decreases in the concentration of triglycerides in their ... read more

July 29, 2015  Viewing aquarium displays led to noticeable reductions in blood pressure and heart rate, a research team found in the first study of its kind. They also noted that higher numbers of fish helped to ... read more

Dec. 15, 2014  In addition to gluten, the immune systems of patients with celiac disease react to specific types of non-gluten protein in wheat, researchers have found. Celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder that ... read more

Nov. 5, 2014  Although gluten-free foods are trendy among the health-conscious, they are necessary for those with celiac disease. But gluten, the primary trigger for health problems in these patients, may not be ... read more

Dec. 18, 2012  Celiac disease affects about 1% of the population but occasional ‘epidemics’ have been noticed along with a seasonal variation in number of cases diagnosed. New research indicates that repeated ... read more